To Love Them Both
by FirstLove15
Summary: Takes place after season 2 Finale. Basically Delena but focuses more on all three. I'm planning to write this version of season three until season three actually starts. Let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

I listened as Katherine left the boarding house. My face still burning, my heart still racing from her seeing me kiss Damon. My mind was spinning from relief that Damon was going to be okay and the news that Stefan had sacrificed hugely for the cure; but what kind of sacrifice?

I looked over by the bed and picked up my car keys.

"I have to go, I have to see what's going on with Stefan." I told Damon.

He looked up, his eyes still a lifeless blue, dark shadows playing under his eyes, the sweat of infection still shining on his face.

"I'm going with you." He said, his voice raspy and tired. He sat up with a true struggle.

"Damon, no. You need to rest."

I sat down on the bed and pressed his chest down fairly easy.

"Elena, I'm only getting better from here obviously. I'll be fine before we make it to the driveway. I'm not taking any chances." He said, resting his hand on top of mine on his chest.

I stood up to make an excuse to move my hand out of the way. I was feeling strange. Something was wrong and there was a turning in my stomach. Damon began to get up again but I just gave up. I made it to the door as he walked slowly towards me.

We made it to Klaus' apartment shortly after. Damon opened the door and we both walked in. It was empty, quiet.

"They're gone." Damon said rubbing the back of his neck in frustration.

I looked down at my phone. "Seriously, where are you?" I texted.

"Elena. What a pleasant surprise. Oh and Damon. You look better. Kind of." Klaus smiled looking Damon up and down. Damon was still weak, feverish and had a slight sway in his stance.

"Where's Stefan." Damon ordered.

"He's here. But you may be better off just leaving. You may want to get the girl out of here." Klaus gestured playfully towards me.

Suddenly Damon was across the room grabbing the front of Klaus' shirt.

"Where is he!" Damon demanded as harshly as he could, but his weak condition left him very non threatening.

Suddenly Klaus had Damon slammed into a wall and he held held him there, his fist pressed tightly against Damon's chest.

"He's working for me now. It was your life, for his assistance. Now, just because you got the cure doesn't mean you are in a good condition to be here trying to start a fight. It's going to take you a while to get better seeing as you were so close to death." Klaus explained.

Damon grew quiet under Klaus' overly confident stare.

"He won't stay with you." Damon finally said, almost with a defeated, childlike quality.

Klaus shook his head. "What is it with you Salvatore's? Pathetic." Klaus smiled as we watched Damon slump under his hold.

"Let him go." I said. I hated watching Damon pinned into Klaus' game of cat and mouse.

He turned and smiled at me, but then suddenly he was looking over my shoulder, past me.

I turned and followed his gaze and found Stefan standing there. His eyes were wild, blood smeared across his face. He had a strange stooped posture that looked primal and frighting. I heard Damon stumble when Klaus let go of him.

"Stefan, what's going on?" I asked walking towards him.

"You shouldn't be here." He said, almost growling.

"What have you done?" I turned and shouted at Klaus.

"I turned him back into what he was meant to be. A killer, a flawless assassin." Klaus walked towards Stefan, looking at him with the shining eyes of a proud creator. "It's what he's made for, and from what I've heard of the past, he's the absolute best at being a vampire." Klaus said.

I looked at Stefan, his chest rising and falling at a wild pace. His eyes were darting and disconnected. Damon walked past me, almost near staggering towards Stefan.

"Why did you do this Stefan, why did you let him do this? I could have just died Stefan, you shouldn't have done this." Damon said. Damon reached up and put his hand on Stefan's shoulder but Stefan jerked away.

"I didn't do this for you. I want this." Stefan hissed.

Damon truly looked hurt as he watched his brother back away.

"No, this isn't going to happen. Just take me." Damon said turning to Klaus. "Don't do this to him, just take me. I'll go with you instead."

"No, neither one of them are going with you." I said to Klaus.

He smiled once more. "Why don't you let Stefan make that decision." Klaus said with a raise of his chin.

I turned back to Stefan as I heard Klaus speak behind me.

"Stefan, destroy her." Klaus ordered.

Stefan's eyes instantly locked down on me and I found myself backing away without even realizing it. He took a few steps towards me.

"Stefan, you wouldn't. You love me Stefan, remember that." I said.

He paused suddenly, his eyes flickering with a small trace of recognition of reality.

"Stefan." Klaus said with a tone of warning.

As soon as he did Stefan dashed suddenly and was standing at my side, pulling the back of my hair bowing my head to the side and I felt the sharp pain of Stefan's teeth digging into my neck. Then I was suddenly jerked away into safety as I heard Klaus laugh. Damon had grabbed me away from Stefan and was suddenly whisking us both out of the apartment before I could even register what was happening. Before Damon and I could make it out to the car I was sobbing. Damon didn't hesitate to shove me into the passenger seat, he took his place behind the wheel and I heard the squeal of the tires as we raced from the parking lot. After a few minutes of silence other than the quiet sobs that escaped me, he pulled over. I looked up as I felt the shift from the smooth asphalt to the roughness of the ground.

"Come here." Damon said, his voice still weak from being sick. I leaned into him like flowers to the sun, reaching out for comfort, for warmth and survival.

"How could he do this Damon?" I cried into his chest.

"He was doing it for me, to save me." Damon said. "Please, don't worry Elena. I just have to get my strength back first and then I'll get him back. You have my word." Damon promised, running his fingers through the back of my hair. I leaned away to look at him, his face, the slender, dark beauty and the shining blue eyes were wild and hopeful as they stared back at me.

"So you really love me?" I asked, changing the subject out of desperation for comfort and wondering what the hell make me bring something like that up.

"In love." He corrected. "The real deal."

**Short, but only because I want to know if you like it first. I plan to write out my version of season 3 till it gets here. Reviews, I will write for reviews. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

I stood at Stefan's bathroom mirror dabbing at the blood smeared on my neck. I felt numb, emotionless and stunned. I felt like I was in a nightmare, I was waiting for it to end and beginning to realize it wouldn't. The feeling of being hurt, of being intentionally hurt by the one you have loved is unbearable. I wouldn't accept it though, it had to change back. I had to have it the way it was. I heard a knock behind me on the door frame of the bathroom. It was Damon.

I looked at him through the mirror behind me but continued wiping at my neck. He walked up behind me and took the rag out of my hand and ran it under some cool water. I turned and leaned against the sink facing Damon. He took the rag and began to brush it gently across the small tear in my neck. I winced against my wishes and in return I saw the troubled flicker in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry." He said softly.

"It's not your fault, Damon." I said fighting back tears.

We stood in silence for a moment while he wiped away the blood. I saw his eyes narrow as he took in the wound.

"I need to take you to the emergency room, this needs stitches." He said. I could feel a fresh trickle of blood beginning down my neck again.

"No, I can't go. What would we tell them?" I argued.

He moved the the rag away and the blood began to run again. He suddenly turned away from me.

"Elena, we don't have a choice." he said sternly.

"Damon?" I reached out and tugged his arm for him to turn around. When he did I saw the last traces of darkness disappear from his eyes.

"Elena, it's bad, we have to go." he said again.

I stood for a moment pondering the idea of going to the emergency room. Deep down, however, I knew there was an easier way.

"What about your blood? That's all I need and it will be healed easily." I said.

Damon looked surprised at my statement.

"I didn't think that would be an option for you." He said.

"I'm tired Damon. In a lot of ways I'm just exhausted. I'd rather just do that than go to the emergency room." I explained.

He seemed wary about my decision but then he reached up and bit into his own wrist with a slight pained look and held it out to me. I ran my tongue across it first and then put my mouth to it and took it in. I felt my cheeks flush and I began to feel more awake and strong. I leaned back and brushed my mouth with the back of my hand just in time to see Damon's eyes flutter and he swayed heavily on his feet. I reached out as he looked like he was going to pass out.

"Damon? Are you okay?" I asked in alarm.

"Um, yeah...just still feeling weak from being sick." He answered.

I took in his eyes that seemed faded and shadowed. He looked improved but still effected non the less.

I touched my fingers to my neck to see if it was better and I felt smooth skin. The only thing left behind was a slight bruised tenderness.

Damon's cell rang and he answered it. After a scattered conversation he hung up.

"We have to go, it's Jeremy." He said.

We flew into the driveway and noticed that Alaric and Bonnie's cars were there. I ran up the porch steps with Damon right behind me and made it inside. The first thing I found was Alaric pacing the kitchen floor and Bonnie sitting amongst piles of books at kitchen island.

"What's going on? Where's Jeremy?" I demanded.

"He's on the couch. He's fine now." Alaric said.

"What happened?"

"He said he saw Vickie Donovan and Anna." Bonnie said without looking up from her books.

"Hmm, seeing ghost. Have we figured hard drugs into the equation?" Damon said.

"It wasn't drugs, Damon." Bonnie snapped. "I brought him back to life and he obviously brought something back with him."

"Back to life?" I asked, suddenly feeling myself begin to panic.

"Yes, Sheriff Forbes shot him in the chest thinking he was someone er something else. He was technically dead for a short amount of time. I guess he brought something back with him." Bonnie explained. But it was the look on her face that sent ice into my veins and I felt panic and pain beginning to rise. Bonnie's face was pale and thin, she looked as if she was the one who had been dead. She had what appeared to be dried blood under her nose and around her mouth. Alaric looked distant, as if he wasn't in the room. I looked over and saw Jeremy laying, curled up on the couch. I looked at Damon who seemed deep in thought, but he still looked weak and tired and frail. We had all been in a war. We lost, John, Jenna and now Stefan. So here we stood, like the wounded victims left behind after a long battle. Beaten, battered and tired. My brother, I could have lost Jeremy. I suddenly felt like I couldn't breath. I began to back away.

"Elena, you okay?" Alaric said, coming out of his trance.

"I just need a minute." I said and walked out of the front door.

I paced the porch, back and forth, back and forth. Flashes and images began to run through my head, I couldn't organize them, or make them stop. I saw Jenna in the circle of fire. I saw Damon's dying face. I saw John's lifeless body being lifted off the ground. I saw Stefan coming towards me, with murder in his eyes. They just kept running over and over again. I felt like a dam was about to break. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned with a gasp.

"Elena?" Damon said startled. "Are you okay?" He asked.

But his words were drowned out by my sudden panic, my sudden rage. The dam had broke and I felt everything I should have been feeling all at once.

"No! I'm not okay!" I screamed at Damon, my fist clenched, my nails digging into my palm.

"Jenna's dead!" I punched Damon in the chest. He was like a stone statue and the pain felt good on my hand. "I almost lost Jeremy!" I punched and scrambled against Damon, he never moved an inch.

"John died to let me live as a human...he's DEAD! He did love me! But I denied it everyday! But he still died for me! And now Stefan..." I punched, I kicked and dug my nails in Damon's shoulders. He stood there for every second of it. He let me do it, with only tears in his eyes, he let use him as a literal punching bag. He never moved until I ran out of energy and began to collapse in tears. He caught me before I could hit the ground. He knelt down and cradled me in his arms while I cried. I buried my head in his chest and as I cried I concentrated on the slight rocking back and forth that he did.

After a while, my crying died down and I came back to reality. I suddenly realized what I had done to Damon.

"Omigod. Damon I'm so sorry." I said looking up at him, my voice cracking still from tears.

He smiled lightly. "It's no big, I know you've probably wanted to do that for a long time."

I laughed and shook my head.

"Look, Elena. I'm going to get Stefan back. I'm going to make sure we get to bottom of what's going on with Jeremy. I'm going to protect everything you love. I promise."

I sniffled and nodded.

Alaric walked out onto the porch and out of habit I stood up quickly and stepped several feet away from Damon.

"You alright?" Alaric asked.

"Yeah...I'm alright." I nodded.

"Look, uh...I was thinking. I heard about Stefan's recent team change and with everything that's going on with Jeremy we really need to take the greatest measures we can to ensure you and Jeremy's safety." Alaric explained.

"So, what were you thinking?" Damon asked.

"I want Elena and Jeremy to move into the boarding house for now." Alaric said. "Until we can figure everything out.

I thought about it for a moment. It made sense. It was the safest place for Jeremy and I.

"You can help me get some of Elena and Jeremy's stuff that they want with them, this weekend." Alaric said to Damon.

"Of course." Damon said.

After a while and heavily packed bags for both Jeremy and myself we wound up back at the boarding house. Bonnie came with us and she hugged me good night as her and Jeremy went to bed. I climbed the stairs to Stefan's room and laid down. I tossed and turned and twisted until I was miserable. I walked back down the stairs not knowing where I was headed until I found myself at Damon's bedroom door. I suddenly felt nervousness rip through my stomach and I turned and almost ran flat into Bonnie.

"Oh, you scared me." I whispered.

"Where are you headed?" Bonnie asked grinning.

Not knowing what to say I looked at the floor. "I don't know." I shrugged.

"Elena, it's okay to need to be close to someone." Bonnie said. I felt again the weak stab of nervousness shoot through me.

I nodded as she smiled and turned and went back upstairs.

I turned and walked back to Damon's bedroom door. I tapped it twice and opened it. The moonlight flooded his room. He sat up and peered towards the door where I was standing.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice scratchy.

"I couldn't sleep..so...I..." I didn't know what to say.

"Come here." He whispered.

I tiptoed across the floor and and slid into the bed. I laid my head on Damon's shoulder and I felt him tuck the the blanket around me. It was almost instantly that I fell asleep.

**Reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

My eyes fluttered open and I took in the light cascading through the cream white drapes on the long bedroom windows. I had a small moment of panic not recognizing where I was. Then everything came rushing back to me, penetrating the temporary encasement of dream like bliss that you can only get in a deep slumber. I remembered what happened to Stefan and worry set in over Jeremy. Then a strange pang in my stomach when I recalled crawling in bed with Damon the night before. What was happening to me? Everything felt like they had changed over night because they had. I was twisted deeply in the mangled crisp sheets of Damon's bed. I had a sudden fear that Stefan could see where I was and I overcome with guilt. But what did I have to feel guilty over. Nothing happened in the bed other than sleep. He would want me to feel safe and comfortable. The only way I could find that was with Damon.

The running shower water from Damon's bathroom that I hadn't noticed before suddenly shut off. I closed my eyes to a tight squint to pretend I was sleeping. I didn't know what I was going to say so it seemed to be my best option. Through my intertwining lashes I saw Damon come out wrapped from the waist down in a white towel. His hair was messy and wet and I couldn't help but to follow the water dripping off of his hair as it traveled down his chest towards the towel line. I cringed in my feigned sleep that I was staring. He pulled some cloths out and went back into the bathroom. Moments later he returned wearing jeans and he was buttoning a white collard shirt. I never recalled him wearing such lighthearted cloths. I opened my eyes all the way and stretched.

"Morning." He chimed, finishing with his last button.

"Hey." I said, my voice scratchy. "Where are you going?"

"I got a message from Katherine. She said she has reason to believe that there is a definite agenda behind Klaus taking in Stefan. I plan to get to the bottom of that. So I'm going back to see them." He explained a little too casually.

"You talked to Katherine?" Seemed to be the only thing that caught my attention.

"Yeah, she already skipped town but I think she's just trying to help." He shrugged.

I nodded and laid my head back down trying to push away the bad feelings I had gathered from my last interaction with Katherine.

"I'm going with you." I said pulling back the sheets and getting out of bed. I definitely didn't miss the fact that Damon's eyes traced my body from head to toe. I crossed my arms over my chest and he looked back up at me looking fairly guilty for moment.

"You're most certainly not going with me." He said looking around on the floor for his shoes.

"You want to bet?" I challenged. I ran from the room and upstairs to Stefan's room pulling jeans and a purple tee out of my bag as fast as possible. I slipped them on in record speed and pulled my tooth brush out. I sped through that process and then cascaded down the stairs as fast as my legs would carry me. I made it to the door at the same time Damon did. I saw the grin on his face before I even spoke and knew I was in for a fight.

"I'm going." I said again.

"No, you're not. You saw what happened last time, you'll just be in the way." He said shaking his head.

"No I won't!" I nearly yelled. I hated it when he talked me like I was a child. He opened the door and I grabbed it trying to go out with him.

"Elena stop!" he said, grabbing my arms and becoming very serious.

I struggled against his unwavering strength.

"Jeremy!" Bonnie suddenly yelled from another room.

Damon eyes locked on mine as we both wondered if we heard the same thing. We instantly stopped our struggle and ran into the kitchen where Jeremy was slumped by the wall, Bonnie hovering over him in panic. Alaric was standing close by too, I didn't even know he was there.

"What happened Bonnie?" I asked trying to see past her to Jeremy.

"I'm not really sure, I heard him talking so I came in here to see who he was talking to. Alaric walked in just when I did and Jeremy just collapsed." She explained through tears. She hugged around him and rocked back and forth. "What have I done?" She said looking right into my eyes with pure guilt.

"We have to do more research." Alaric said.

"No, no we need another witch." Bonnie said through tears. "There's another witch, Katherine's old friend, we met her the night of the Masquerade Ball. We have to find her." Bonnie explained.

"We can go now, we will go back to my place and see if we can't find a good location spell to find her." Alaric said.

We waited until Jeremy woke up but he was babbling nonsense. Alaric helped him get into his car and Bonnie got in the car next to him.

"Aren't you going with them?" Damon asked, looking down at me.

"No, he's in good hands. I'm going with you." I said.

He shook his head and smiled. "You're unbelievable."

We made it back to the apartment but when we reached the door Damon turned and stopped me.

"Okay, you're here, technically. Stay right here and don't move." Damon ordered. I began to protest but he put his finger to his lips to quiet me. He turned and opened the door not even bothering to knock.

I watched through the crack in the door.

"A second visit? I have to say I'm actually surprised." Klaus said stepping into view. "I thought you already realized Stefan isn't coming back with you."

"I didn't come here for Stefan, I just came to find out what your plan is with him." Damon said, his voice calm and casual.

"And you think I'm going to actually tell you so you can get in the way?" Klaus said sounding humored by this idea.

"Well that, and I'm feeling much better today." Damon said, and then in a flash he went after Klaus. Their bodies hurled through the air and they landed on the floor in a fight so horrible I could barely keep up with who was winning. I went against Damon's commands and stepped inside the door. I couldn't stand there and let Damon get hurt.

"Stop!" I screamed.

They both stopped and were up on their feet.

"Damn it Elena!" Damon voice rang out in frustration.

Klaus used Damon's distraction to his benefit and slammed him back into a wooden beam behind him.

"I should infect you again and let you die. I've already got your brother on my side, there's no use in saving you." Klaus threatened.

"Elena?" I heard Stefan's voice and I looked over to find him standing on the other side of the room. He still looked wild but more grounded than the day before.

"Stefan. Please listen to me, just come back with us we can help you." I said walking towards him again.

"No! Get away from me!" He growled, his face looked dangerous and the darkness of hunger danced around his eyes. I stopped in my tracks suddenly afraid of him.

I heard a commotion from behind me and I saw Klaus rushing towards Damon who was trying to get to me.

"Of course maybe I could take you up on your offer from yesterday. Why don't you join us, two Salvatore's would be even better than one." Klaus said, suddenly jamming a bag of human blood towards Damon face. He forced blood into Damon's mouth. Damon jerked it out of his hands and squeezed the bag and finished it off, his eyes turning dark and horrifying. I suddenly felt my stomach drop and my veins turned to ice as I watched Damon turn into an intentional killer. Then Damon crumpled the bag in his fist and smiled throwing back to Klaus who caught it in surprise.

"Please, I feed on this for breakfast. I'm not the one with the blood drinking problem, I'm the one with the anger issues." Damon's wide grin was masked with pure hate.

"I'm liking you more and more." Klaus said with what appeared to me genuine admiration for Damon.

"Good then tell me what you're up to." Damon asked again.

"No, you either join us or leave." Klaus said.

"No, tell me."

"Leave or there will be consequences." Klaus said with a raise of his chin.

"Yeah? And just what would that be? Are you going to offer up dinner too?" Damon smiled.

"Actually, yes." Klaus laughed. He opened a door to his left and pulled out a girl that was about my age. She was shaking, horribly afraid but obviously compelled to be there.

"What are you doing?" I said feeling my stomach grow heavy.

Klaus took the girl by the arm and led her over to Stefan.

"Ill have Stefan kill her if you don't leave." Klaus said coolly looking at Damon with measured confidence.

Worry flashed across Damon's face but for only a moment. With a raise of Damon's chin, he grinned and shrugged. "I've been known to care about less." He said.

"So I've heard Damon; butt do you really want Elena to see him do that?" Klaus said rhetorically. He knew he had now won.

Damon looked over at me. His face fell in defeat.

"Let's go, Elena." He said heading to me. He began to pull me towards the door. I looked back at Stefan, desperately trying to seek recognition on his face, but he was only staring longingly like a true predator at the girl in front of him.

"Stefan, don't hurt her!" I begged.

"Let's go." Damon said again quietly as he pulled me further. As soon as he shut the door behind him he picked up his pace and I heard the muffled struggle of the girl inside.

I strangled on a sob but Damon just kept us going.

The ride back to the boarding house started quietly, as I silently cried watching the trees pass by out of my window.

"I'm so sorry." I heard Damon almost whisper beside me.

I turned and looked at him, no longer trying to hide the tears streaming from my eyes.

"Turn me." I demanded.

"What?" Damon said, his face full of shock.

"Turn me!" I demanded again.

"No, what are you talking about?" He looked over at me in horror.

"I can help you if you turn me. We'll have double the strength. You need me!" I cried.

"No, you know you don't want that, it's ridiculous, no." He said with the finality of a parent.

"You were so quick to make that decision for me before! We are going to do what I want!" I nearly yelled.

"Elena calm down." He said, his face growing in sadness.

"No, I won't calm down!" I screamed. I punched him the arm but of course it didn't effect him so I hit harder and harder until he finally pulled over.

I jumped out of the passenger side as Damon rushed around to meet me.

"Fine Elena, you want this? Let's do it!" He said, anger pouring from his voice. His bit into his wrist, his eyes grew dark. Blood from his wrist stained his lips and I flinched in fear. He jerked my arm and pulled me to him, his face only a few inches away from mine. "You want to be miserable? You're not going to help anything, you'll wind up being Stefan's partner before it's over. You'll be weak." He hissed.

"I don't care! I just want him back!" I screamed.

His face relaxed into hurt and he released my arm. After a few silent moments he spoke.

"Look, I'm working on it Elena. Just try not to go all super villian on me in the process." He said.

"This isn't a joke Damon!" I screamed in his face.

"No! No it isn't a joke, Elena. Over a week ago John died to make sure you stay exactly how you are. You know you don't want to turn so don't destroy your humanity in a moment of weakness!" Damon said through his teeth.

Anger like I had never felt before grew inside of me, deeper then the other night when I hit Damon. I turned and kicked the side of the car and watched it slightly rock.

"Does that make you feel better?" Damon asked.

I kicked it again causing a dent in the door. So I kicked it again and again, breaking into sobs.

"Hey! Get a hold of yourself." Damon jerked me around to face him. "I've never seen you like this. Please. I've lost my brother. It's basically my fault. You're the only thing I have left that I care about. So please, don't change. Just please, have faith in me for once. Let me be the one you rely on." I watched in shock as a tear slid down his face.

"I'm sorry." I said through tears.

"Elena, Stefan was always the one. He always saved your day. Let me have my time. Let me do something I can finally be proud of. So please, just stay with me. We can get through this." He pleaded.

I nodded, feeling guilty once more for my outburst. Damon leaned into me, his face just a few inches away.

"I need you, Elena. I know you're scared and your sad. So am I; but I need you." He said again.

A strange feeling overwhelmed me as I watched his sharp blue eyes fight back tears through the intensity of his voice. I felt a longing that I couldn't identify.

"Okay." I nodded.

"Okay good. Now pick up that side view mirror and let's get back home." He said letting go of my arm.

Walking into the empty boarding house reminded me of Jeremy. So to avoid freaking out all over again I made my way upstairs to Stefan's room to take a shower. I stood in the warm water trying to clear my head. I kept thinking about that girl, scared and about to me murdered by my love. I forced my mind to shut it out. Instead I thought about Damon, the look on his face today outside of the car. The tears he had in his eyes. His words : I need you Elena. I felt my stomach fly while remembering those words and how he said them. There was this deep down frustration I had about Damon and I couldn't understand it. I shook my head and figured it was guilt. Guilt that he felt souly responsible for me now. I made a silent vow that I would keep myself under control from now on. It wasn't fair to him to see me have breakdowns every night. Not while he was trying his best to figure out a way to get Stefan back.

I changed and walked back downstairs. Damon was sitting on the couch with a few books in his lap and sitting around him.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"I'm hoping maybe they will give me an answer. Maybe they will say something about a certain agenda that needs to take place after the sacrifice." He explained.

I sat down next to him on the couch and watched the fire roar in the fireplace.

"I just wish there were cliff notes." He said slamming the book and sighing.

I laughed lightly before I even realized it. His humor always had a way of sneaking up on me.

He smiled at me looking clearly relieved that I was somewhat feeling better. He reached over and brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes and suddenly I felt like I was in free fall. Butterflies transcended my stomach and instead were suspending my entire body. It hurt and felt good all the same. I wanted to reach out to him, to touch his lips that my eyes had settle on for far too long. My stomach was suddenly racked with pain of guilt, remembering the knowing look in Katherine's eyes when she saw herself in me.

"Thanks for helping me with Stefan." I said, desperate to break the silence.

"Your very welcome." He said, his voice low and quiet.

Then I made the mistake of looking at his eyes. His eyes that were torched with vulnerability and glowed somehow in the firelight.

I was waiting to start screaming in my head, to slam on the breaks but instead my mind and all thought seemed to cease completely and I leaned in and met my lips to his. They were soft and inviting. The new unfamiliar feeling of kissing Damon sent a power through me that set my soul ablaze. I reached up laying my hand on his chest and leaned in closer to him. I felt his fingers in my hair and our kissing became deeper. I wanted him, in a wild uncontrollable way. Just when I was about to let myself go, to dive right in he jerked back and jumped to his feet. His breathing was wild and so was mine; but it only took that to stop the gates from breaking and the guilt to come crashing in like a flood.

"I'm – I'm sorry but we can't. You're not thinking right, were both not thinking right. I can't let this happen and then you regret it. This would kill him." He said with such a swell of pain in his eyes it was hard to look at.

"Yes, your right. I'm sorry." I said touching my fingers to my lips. Waiting for my mind to clear.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. He left to answer it but all I could do was sit frozen in place. I strained waiting for the debilitating guilt to kill me but it wasn't there like I expected it to be and the only pain I was feeling was the tug at my heart for Stefan and the new found longing I felt now for his brother, the dark beauty that had stolen my heart without even realizing it.

Damon opened the door but I heard the door slam against the wall. I jumped up and peered towards the front door from the living room.

"Damon, remember me?" I heard a booming voice say. Damon was silent and was walking backwards. As soon as he backed up far enough I spotted the angry intruder and was horrified to see Mason Lockwood.

"Mason?" Damon nearly whispered.

"Yeah that's right, I'm back and I'm pretty pissed." Mason hissed and suddenly he lunged towards Damon and pinned him to the floor. He hit Damon two good times but Damon rolled out from underneath him. I turned to grad the iron fire poker from by the fore place but when I turned around he was gone and the only thing left was Damon, looking purely shocked. ]

I looked over at him and his wide eyes met mine.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked.

"I don't know." He said.

He reached his hand out and I took it as we stood there trying to understand what we just saw.

**Leave reviews please. Helps me write like you don't know. :)**


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